From the excellent OlimpBase website:
Like the previous one at Munich, the 14th Olympiad was also organized on German soil. Thus, the Battle of Nations was relieved once again on a peaceful field, and this time the number of competing teams reached forty.
All the major teams appeared this time, including newly reigning World Champion Mikhail Tal, who was a few days late because of his child’s birth, and American 17-year-old prodigy Bobby Fischer. Because of him, Reshevsky was missing because he refused to give up first board place to Fischer. Apart from the Soviets, full-time favourites each time and place, Hungary and Yugoslavia, both having plenty of experienced GMs in their squads, seemed the biggest favourites for medals. USA with 4 GMs, and especially Fischer, were awaited with huge interest. Other strong nations were both German teams (remember East Germany played under much political and social pressure), Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria.
Fischer and Tal drew their round-5 game | Photo: Bundesarchiv
In round 8, Mikhail Botvinnik played white against Ludek Pachman on top board of the Soviet Union vs Czechoslovakia confrontation. Botvinnik was a pawn up in an opposite-coloured bishop endgame.
Opposite-coloured bishops have two faces. Pure endgames have a large drawish tendency. With more pieces on the board, however, they favour the attacker, like in the middlegame. So White has good winning chances in the following famous game.
But was Botvinnik’s win flawless, or could have Pachman saved himself?
Share your analyses, ideas and discoveries in the comments below!
